Christianity Books

Book SynopsisChristianity Today 2024 Book Award Finalist (Culture and the Arts) "Provides plenty of fodder for those wishing to explore what evangelicalism is and reimagine what it might become. It's an eye-opener."--Publishers Weekly "Akin to enjoying a lively conversation over a cheering yet bracing cup of tea."--Christianity Today (5-star review) "A breathtaking reminder of just how powerful the evangelical imagination has been and how much is lost when we forfeit it."--The Gospel Coalition Contemporary American evangelicalism is suffering from an identity crisis--and a lot of bad press. In this book, acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior examines evangelical history, both good and bad. By analyzing the literature, art, and popular culture that has surrounded evangelicalism, she unpacks some of the movement's most deeply held concepts, ideas, values, and practices to consider what is Christian rather than merely cultural. The result is a clearer path forward for evangelicals amid their current identity crisis--and insight for others who want a deeper understanding of what the term "evangelical" means today. Brought to life with color illustrations, images, and paintings, this book explores ideas including conversion, domesticity, empire, sentimentality, and more. In the end, it goes beyond evangelicalism to show us how we might be influenced by images, stories, and metaphors in ways we cannot always see.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Victorians, Evangelicals, and the Invitation1. Made in His ImageImagination, Imaginaries, and Evangelicalisms2. AwakeningMumford, MLK, Hurston, Hughes, and Other Poets3. ConversionLanguage, Dr. Pepper, and Ebenezer Scrooge4. TestimonyGrace Abounding and "Evangelically Speaking"5. ImprovementThe Puritan Work Ethic, Paradise Lost, and the Price of Progress6. SentimentalitySweet Jesus, Uncle Tom, and Public Urination7. MaterialityJesus in the Window, the Virgin Mary on Grilled Cheese, Gingerbread Houses, and the Sacramentality of Church Space8. DomesticityAngels and Castles and Prostitutes, Oh My!9. Empire"The White Man's Burden," His Man Friday, the Jesus Nobody Knows, and What Johnny Cash Really Knew10. ReformationPardon Me, Reckoning or Rip Van Winkle?11. RaptureOr How a Thief Came in the Night but Left My Chick Tracts Behind

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Book SynopsisWhat if the solution for the decline of today's church isn't more money, people, programs, innovation, or busyness? What if the answer is to stop and wait on God? In When Church Stops Working, ministry leaders Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand show how actively watching and listening for God can bring life out of death for churches in crisis today. Using clear steps and practices, they invite church leaders to stop the endless cycle of doing more and rather to simply "be" in God's presence. They tell the story of two congregations who did this--and found new life in the process. When Church Stops Working distills the core themes of Root's critically acclaimed Ministry in a Secular Age series in a more accessible form. Leaders and churchgoers who are burned out and hopeless will experience affirmation, encouragement, and empowerment as Root and Bertrand turn to the book of Acts as well as examples from contemporary congregational life to show what "active" waiting looks like and the saving grace it can hold.Table of ContentsContents1. Why Your Church Has a Problem, but It Isn't What You Think2. Busy People, Busy Church--A Killer Cocktail3. Stop All the Having and Just Be4. It's Time to Wait, but for What? 5. Waiting Brings Life, Not a Slow Death6. Forget the Mission Statement--Get a Watchword7. Out of the Family Basement8. Nothing Can Separate You

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Book Synopsis★ Publishers Weekly starred review A Best Book of 2018 in Religion, Publishers Weekly Reading great literature well has the power to cultivate virtue, says acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior. In this book, she takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. Covering authors from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O'Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prior explores some of the most compelling universal themes found in the pages of classic books, helping readers learn to love life, literature, and God through their encounters with great writing. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection questions geared toward book club discussions, original artwork throughout, and a foreword by Leland Ryken. The hardcover edition was named a Best Book of 2018 in Religion by Publishers Weekly. "[A] lively treatise on building character through books.'"--Publishers Weekly (starred review)Table of ContentsContentsForeword by Leland RykenIntroduction: Read Well, Live WellPart One: The Cardinal Virtues1. Prudence: The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding2. Temperance: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald3. Justice: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens4. Courage: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainPart Two: The Theological Virtues5. Faith: Silence by Shusaku Endo6. Hope: The Road by Cormac McCarthy7. Love: The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo TolstoyPart Three: The Heavenly Virtues8. Chastity: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton9. Diligence: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan10. Patience: Persuasion by Jane Austen11. Kindness: "Tenth of December" by George Saunders12. Humility: "Revelation" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'ConnorDiscussion Questions

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Book SynopsisSusannah Griffith wishes she had spent less time thinking about forgiveness. But as a Christian minister, a biblical scholar, and a survivor of abuse, she has learned a lot about it.In Forgiveness after Trauma, Griffith explores what the Bible says--and doesn''t say--about the biblical call to forgive. She helps readers understand this command in ways that are healing and restorative, framing it within broader concerns around lament, anger, accountability, release and rebirth, and reconciliation.The result is what Griffith calls 'trauma-informed forgiveness,' which takes seriously God''s forgiveness of sinners while centering survivors of abuse and aiding their healing. This view also empowers those who have been harmed in other ways by abuses of power and justice in religious institutions.Readers will resonate with Griffith''s astute biblical analysis and personal reflection, which point to God''s love--a love that never includes abuse and strives

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Book SynopsisA growing number of powerful arguments have been formulated by philosophers and logicians in recent years demonstrating that the existence of God is improbable. These arguments assume that God's existence is possible but argue that the weight of the empirical evidence is against God's actual existence. This unique anthology collects most of the important arguments for the improbability of God that have been published since the mid-1900s. The editors make each argument clear and accessible by providing a helpful summary. In addition, they arrange this diverse collection of arguments for the improbability of God into four thematic groups: Part 1 contains cosmological arguments based on the weight of the evidence relative to the origin of the universe; Part 2 presents teleological arguments based on the weight of the evidence relative to the order in the universe; Part 3 deals with inductive evil arguments based on the weight of the evidence relative to the widespread and horrendous evil in the world; and Part 4 contains nonbelief arguments based on the weight of the evidence relative to the widespread nonbelief or the reasonable nonbelief in the world. The list of distinguished authors includes William Rowe, Theodore Drange, Quentin Smith, Victor Stenger, J. L. Schellenberg, and Michael Martin, among others. With this new anthology as a companion to their earlier anthology, The Impossibility of God (2003), Martin and Monnier have created an indispensable resource in the philosophy of religion.Table of ContentsPart 1: Cosmological Arguments Against the Existence of God; Part 2: Theological Arguments Against the Existence of God; Part 3: Inductive Evil Arguments Against the Existence of God; Part 4: Non-Belief Arguments Against the Existence of God.

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Book SynopsisAs defined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.The African spiritual principle of Ubuntu offers believers a new and radical way of reading the Gospel and understanding the heart of the Christian faith, and this new book explores the meaning and utility of Ubuntu as applied to Western philosophies, faith, and lifestyles.Ubuntu is an African way of seeing self-identity formed -through community. This is a difficult worldview for many Western people, who understand self as over, against, or in competition with others. In the Western viewpoint, Ubuntu becomes something to avoid—a kind of co-dependency. As a Christian leader who understands the need, intricacies, and delicate workings of global interdependency, Battle offers here both a refreshing worldview and a new perspective of self-identity for people across cultures, and of all faiths.Trade Review“Michael’s book helps us all to see that we are all inextricably linked together. We forget this at our peril. The good news, however, is that God’s love will not leave us alone. It is my prayer that, in the same way, Ubuntu will not leave us alone.”—Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize-winner and retired archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa “If the community of the holy people of God is about nothing else, we must be about truly loving our neighbors as ourselves. We must understand and celebrate our inextricable links to each other always walking with Jesus our Beloved. This book is an offering to the holy people of God at the 76th General Convention. It is an introduction to a way of life that asks us to venture together into a new understanding of individualism and community.”—Bonnie Anderson, D.D., President, The House of Deputies “With each chapter of this timely and compelling volume, Michael strains time and again—and ever more urgently—to have us see as he has seen, to hear as he has heard, to feel as he now feels, to sense more intuitively, to internalize more instinctively, to actualize more spontaneously, the blindingly simple yet inexplicably elusive Gospel imperative to love one another. He does so as a teacher, with all the compassion and grace, passion and delight, tenderness and thoughtfulness, love and humility—that is, with the spirit, the life force. Indeed that is the essence of Ubuntu.”—Jenny Plane Te Paa, a theologian and dean of St. John’s College in Auckland, New Zealand

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Book SynopsisContextual theologies have developed from a number of perspectives – including feminist theology, black theology, womanist theology, Latin American liberation theology, and Asian American theology – and a wide variety of academic and general introductions exist to examine each one. However, Radical Love is the first introductory textbook on the subject of queer theology.In this lucid and compelling introduction, Cheng provides a historical survey of how queer theology has developed from the 1950s to today and then explicates the themes of queer theology using the ecumenical creeds as a general framework. Topics include revelation, God, Trinity, creation, Jesus Christ, atonement, sin, grace, Holy Spirit, church, sacraments, and last things, as seen through the lenses of LGBT theologians. Trade Review"Patrick Cheng's Radical Love is an excellent introduction to queer theology. It is readable and nuanced, a marvelous teaching resource."—Carter Heyward, author of Keep Your Courage: A Radical Christian Feminist Speaks and Professor Emerita of Theology, Episcopal Divinity School"Patrick Cheng's Radical Love is not only an excellent introduction to LGBT theology but an important contribution to the discipline of theology and the life of the church. It is a must read for anyone who cares about the health of the church and theology today."—James H. Cone, Charles A. Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY"Thoroughly Christian and thoroughly Queer, Cheng helps readers welcome a theology that leaves no one behind."—Chris Glaser, author of As My Own Soul: The Blessing of Same-Gender Marriage and Coming Out as Sacrament"This book is a clear, accessible and exciting analysis of Queer Theology. Cheng perfectly captures both the challenge and the rootedness of Queer Theology."—Professor Elizabeth Stuart, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Winchester, UK"I would characterize Cheng's notion of 'radical love' as 'wild grace' with which mainstream theology has yet to wrestle. This is a good text for introducing queer theology to undergraduate and graduate students."—Rev. Dr. Bob Shore-Goss, Senior Pastor/Theologian, Metropolitan Community Church in the Valley, North Hollywood, CA"Radical Love - a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries! What concept could be more liberating for a culture like ours, where lives are crucified on rigid binaries like male vs. female, us vs. them, straight vs. queer? Radical Love is an excellent introduction for beginners and an excellent synthesis for more advanced readers."—Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, author of Sensuous Spirituality and Omnigender, among many other books"Cheng's work provides an accessible if somewhat rushed glimpse into how queer theology works; its main benefit is the extensive bibliography for those wanting more."—Publisher's Weekly * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisBeat the devil at his own game and wage warfare with confidence!There is a spiritual battle going on, and prayer warrior and intercessor Cindy Trimm has given you a manual to wage effective warfare. The Rules of Engagement helps you recognize the spirits that operate in the kingdom of darkness and gives you declarations for engaging them armed with God's power and authority.

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Book SynopsisCompelled by Love, the true story of the ministry of Heidi and Rolland Baker in the war-torn, poverty and disease-stricken country of Mozambique, chronicles twenty-seven years of ministry among the poorest people on earth. The book is based upon the beatitudes as seen through the eyes of third-world pastors and missionaries. The Bakers have expe...

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Book SynopsisWho you think you are is not as important as who God says you are... Many of us wrestle with the gap between our weaknesses and our dreams, between who we are and who God says we are meant to be. We feel unqualified to do God?s work or to live out the calling we imagine. But God has a way of using our weaknesses for good. In fact, God loves unqualified people. In(Un)Qualified,Pastor Steven Furtick helps you peel back the assumptions you?ve made about yourself and see yourself as God sees you. Because true peace and confidence come not from worldly perfection but from acceptance: God?s acceptance of you, your acceptance of yourself, and your acceptance of God?s process of change. This is a book about understanding your identity in light of who God is. It?s a book about coming to terms with the good, the bad, and the unmentionable in your life and learning to let God use you. It?s about charging into the gap between your present and your hopes and meeting God there. After all, God can?t bless who you pretend to be. But he longs to bless who you really are; a flawed and broken person. Good thing for us that God is in the business of using broken people to do big things. Being unqualified is God''s favorite qualification... Our culture tells us that the answer to our failures is to fix them. The solution to our weaknesses is to hide them. The secret to our success is to appear as flawless as possible. But God?s qualifying system is different than the world?s. So is his view of our weaknesses, our purpose, and our true selves. In(Un)Qualified,Steven Furtick explores who God is as the great ?I AM,? and then helps us discover our own identity. Delving into the story of Jacob, Furtick invites us to acknowledge our weaknesses and ask God to work through them. The truth is, God has created us to be more, to accomplish more, and to love life more than we ever thought possible. But to become who he has called us to be, we must embrace who we are right now.(Un)Qualifiedequips us to face obstacles and failures without losing a sense of purpose. We can have a thriving sense of hope that God is working in us and through us, not in spite of our weaknesses but often as a direct result of them.

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Book SynopsisThis beautiful hardcover edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories of Resilience & Positive Thinking makes a great gift for yourself or someone you love. Enjoy these 101 unique devotions, each with scripture, a true story, and a custom-written prayer! Enjoy 101 Christian devotions to comfort, encourage, and inspire you through the ups and downs of your life. Each devotion has a beautiful story that illustrates an inspirational Bible passage, followed by an original, personal prayer. In the Chicken Soup for the Soul tradition, contributors from all walks of life and all ages share their personal experiences with you — stories that show you how think positive and stay positive, heartwarming demonstrations of resilience in the face of daunting, seemingly hopeless odds, and so many stories of aspiration and inspiration that affirm God’s unconditional love and His

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Book SynopsisThis in-depth discussion of New Testament scholarship and the challenges of history as a whole proposes Bayes's Theorem, which deals with probabilities under conditions of uncertainty, as a solution to the problem of establishing reliable historical criteria. The author demonstrates that valid historical methods-not only in the study of Christian origins but in any historical study-can be described by, and reduced to, the logic of Bayes's Theorem. Conversely, he argues that any method that cannot be reduced to this theorem is invalid and should be abandoned. Writing with thoroughness and clarity, the author explains Bayes's Theorem in terms that are easily understandable to professional historians and laypeople alike, employing nothing more than well-known primary school math. He then explores precisely how the theorem can be applied to history and addresses numerous challenges to and criticisms of its use in testing or justifying the conclusions that historians make about the important persons and events of the past. The traditional and established methods of historians are analyzed using the theorem, as well as all the major "historicity criteria" employed in the latest quest to establish the historicity of Jesus. The author demonstrates not only the deficiencies of these approaches but also ways to rehabilitate them using Bayes's Theorem. Anyone with an interest in historical methods, how historical knowledge can be justified, new applications of Bayes's Theorem, or the study of the historical Jesus will find this book to be essential reading.

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Book SynopsisBased on extensive interviews with mostly former cult members, this book chronicles the history of the Church of God of Union Assembly from its beginning around World War I up to recent times. Founded by a charismatic, unlettered leader, C. T. Pratt, who forcefully broke away from the Holiness COG organization, the church eventually found its home base in Dalton, Georgia. It grew steadily at first and then more rapidly as the great Depression ravaged workers in the mostly rural area of north Georgia. The group set up communal living practices and spread branches of the church across the country, recruiting among the most displaced with a message of social uplift and anti-capitalism, even as its religious practices became increasingly authoritarian and exploitative. If C. T. Pratt exhibited some characteristics of a violent cult leader, his son, who took over the church as his father suffered from ill-health, took these tendencies to a new level that eventually caught the attention of secular authorities. His son, in turn, was even worse--and placed the church on the path to financial ruin. Amazingly, the church survived its three authoritarian leaders and still exists

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Book SynopsisIn the encyclical Fratelli Tutti (2020), Pope Francis has offered a synthesis of his Magisterium. From its pages there emerges a ?new dream? for humanity: a call to walk together, to join forces in building a more just and united world, and thereby to generate a better future for all. In introducing an in-depth reading of Francis?s themes, the authors begin by tracing his continuity with the themes and social teaching of the Second Vatican Council. In the second part, they highlight his original contributions, especially in Fratelli tutti. Out of this constant dialectic with the tradition, the truth of ?siblings all? appears as a ?sign of the times? for our age, and a way for the Church to proclaim and transmit the Gospel to the contemporary world.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis The only power Satan has is what you give him. A literal onslaught of principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places is working overtime to fulfill Satan?s mission in your life. In The Spiritual Warfare Battle Plan Jennifer LeClaire discloses these pestering spirits, reveals their agendas, tells how they operate against you, provides strategies for resisting them. This book will help set you free by shining light on darkness that many don?t know exists. Victory belongs to us when we follow the Holy Spirit?s battle plan!

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Book SynopsisThe addiction epidemic is traumatizing our families, communities, and places of worship. In the last year alone, there has been a record of overdose fatalities and a rise in substance use, especially for women. Tragically, many are living in the darkness of shame often created by the consequences of addiction like sexual violence and even death. In Downstairs Church: Finding Faith in the Grit of Addiction and Trauma Recovery, Caroline Beidler, MSW explores the problem of addiction and trauma for women today and then highlights the freedom—and hope—that can be found in the downstairs church or recovery community. Beidler also highlights the radical vulnerability required of addiction and mental health recovery, something that all people can benefit from. When we share our stories of struggle in real ways, authentic transformation can happen.With compassion because of her own personal experience of addiction and sexual violence, as well as insight because of her professional expertise, Beidler blends relevant statistics and practical information with real-life testimonies of redemption. Beidler also provides a practical list of ways that faith communities can become more trauma-informed spaces for those who may be seeking love and acceptance inside church buildings. Ultimately, Downstairs Church offers a portrait of radical grace and a God whose love persists even in church basements.Trade Review“I struggle to find adequate words to capture all Caroline shares in this treasure of a book. If you’re caught on the barbed wire of addiction, sliced open by the unavoidable pain that penetrates every person’s life or stuck in the doldrums of seemingly no way out, turn the next page. You will feel seen and heard and known by Caroline, and then perhaps surprisingly, by God.” - Elisa Morgan, named by Christianity Today as one of the top 50 women influencing today's church and culture and author of 25 books on mothering, spiritual formation and evangelism. Her latest works include When We Pray Like Jesus, Hello, Beauty Full, The Beauty of Broken."The moment I began reading Downstairs Church, I couldn't put it down. Caroline's writing is relatable, honest, relevant and encouraging—even necessary. I can't wait to see how it heals addicts and self-righteous alike." - Manda Carpenter, Author of Soul Care to Save Your Life"As Frederick Buchner wrote 'You can't help thinking that something like this is what the Church is meant to be and maybe once was before it got to be Big Business.' Caroline Beidler’s book illustrates the value of vulnerability and group support through trying times, and how all Christians can benefit from this learning."- Brian Allain, founder of Writing For Your Life, Publishing in Color, How to Heal Our Divides, and Compassionate ChristianityCaroline Beidler has written an inspirational book that is everything recovery meetings are: raw, beautiful and real. She creates a relationship with her readers that is everything she wishes all life could be: honest, loving and connected. Downstairs Church is a must-read for anyone in recovery, and those who love them, as well as people of faith seeking to create true caring communities. -Kathy Izard, author The Hundred Story Home and The Last Ordinary HourFor those who have stood helpless in the face of substance use, for those who have experienced the trauma of sexual violence, this powerful story of redemption is both heart-breaking and hope-filled. Beidler writes in a vulnerable, conversational style, with good humor thrown in. She includes a practical list of ways the faith communities and churches can encourage people dealing with substance use and trauma.You will appreciate Beidler’s extreme honesty as she openheartedly tells her story and eventually finds her way from the downstairs church—the addiction recovery community with its “cheap coffee in Styrofoam cups”—to the upstairs church with its pews and stained glass. She writes, “Maybe I did belong after all. Maybe what I found in the downstairs church of the recovery community, this vulnerable and real and miraculous healing, could be found upstairs, too.” - Marlys Johnson, Speaker and award-winning writer (Cascade Awards)"If you're looking for a dose of hope, you've found it with Downstairs Church. Caroline Beidler's debut into the literary world is as much of a memoir as it's a guide for healing and grace." - Ryan Hampton, bestselling author of American Fix and Unsettled, advocate, and person in recovery."In The Downstairs Church, Caroline Beidler has pulled off something beautiful. With wit, humor, and genuine vulnerability, she reminds us that recovery communities—those basement gatherings famous for bad coffee—are among the most sacred spaces on earth, because God does miracles there. I believe that many who desperately need a new start or healing for past wounds will find hope and inspiration in these pages. Her book proves what I have long believed—that people bond more deeply over shared brokenness than they do over shared beliefs. " - Heather Kopp, author of Sober Mercies: How Love Caught Up with a Christian Drunk and the novel, My Name is Venus Black

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisWhy are some leaders more effective than others? Effective leaders follow The Leadership Strategy of Jesus personally and in the organizations they lead. In the gospels, Jesus demonstrates the key elements necessary to advance His kingdom—in life, church, and work. The Leadership Strategy of Jesus shows leaders how to live out these principles and positively impact the world. As a seasoned ministry leader, Dr. Rich Halcombe’s, The Leadership Strategy of Jesus, is designed to help leaders discover their personal purpose in order to better serve their communities. Halcombe encourages leaders to establish a clean plan for future growth and invest time and energy into those plans, while remaining open to continuous improvement and adjustment. The Leadership Strategy of Jesus will increase any leader’s effectiveness by identifying the strategies of Jesus and applying them to everyday experiences.

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Book SynopsisIn Triumph Over Trauma, Gary Fisher and Jeremy Van Delinder provide a framework for recovery for those affected by moral injury and trauma.The typical treatment for moral injury and trauma is medication and clinical counseling, and while Chaplains Gary Fisher and Jeremy Van Delinder do not disparage those practices, they have personally seen the power of faith, grace, forgiveness, and a supportive community for those in need. Fisher and Van Delinder’s experiences in ministry, military service and emergency services have revealed the necessary role of spiritual, emotional, and communal support in a person’s journey to recovery. Written for combat veterans, fire fighters, law enforcement members, and their families, Triumph Over Trauma supports those seeking to understand and overcome moral injury and trauma.Triumph Over Trauma is unique in its emphasis on a person’s soul heath—something often ignored in the medical and mental health communities. Combat veterans, first responders, and anyone seeking to know more about the path to recovery will learn how to:  Identify symptoms of moral injury and trauma Understand how human beings are hard-wired for self-preservation when confronted with trauma Recognize the sources of moral injury  Break down the long-term implications of unresolved moral injury, PTS, and PTSD Communicate with family members the importance of their role in the recovery of their loved one Establish healthy habits that contribute to a lifestyle of peace and wellness Discover the spiritual implications of moral injury and the role of the soul  Replace embarrassment and fear with peace and healthy self-worth Gary Fisher and Jeremy Van Delinder designed Triumph Over Trauma as an encouraging resource for anyone in need to take action and develop a plan for recovery, victory, and success for their future. 

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Book SynopsisThe final installment in the critically acclaimed lectionary series that focuses on women's stories. In this third volume of a three-volume lectionary, widely praised womanist bible scholar and priest Wilda Gafney selects scripture readings that emphasize women's stories. Focusing especially on the Gospel of Luke, Year C of A Women's Lectionary features Gafney's fresh, inclusive, and thought-provoking translations of every reading, alongside commentary on each reading. Designed for liturgical use or scriptural study, this resource offers a new perspective on the Bible and the liturgical year. “Gafney's paradigm-shifting scholarship will influence biblical preaching and teaching for generations to come.' —National Catholic Reporter

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Book SynopsisHope in the Hard Places is a practical, encouraging guidebook for the weary soul looking for hope in dark circumstances. In this life, everyone must face trials. Cancer, chronic illness, loss of a loved one, divorce, depression, prodigal children, caring for aging parents, and other unknown terrains can cause people to feel hopeless and helpless. For those who feel like they don’t know where to turn, Hope in the Hard Places equips readers to walk through their trial with hope rather than desperation. Sarah Beckman, a speaker and author, teaches effective and powerful ways to get through the pain with biblical truths and principles. She also includes insight from others who have experienced all manner of trials. Packed with practical strategies, checklists, encouragement, wisdom from seasoned travelers, and rock-solid biblical truth, Hope in the Hard Places provides a beacon of hope in the darkness so that readers can walk through the depths of hardship with insight, dignity, and certainty.

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Book SynopsisA religious liberty lawyer and acclaimed author reveals the root of America's polarization inside the Muslim and evangelical Christian divide—and how it can be healed. Despite the dire consequences of America's cultural, political, and religious divisiveness, from increasing incivility to discrimination and outright violence, few have been able to get to the core cause of this conflict. Even fewer have offered measures for reconcilliation. Now, in The Politics of Vulnerability, Asma Uddin, American-Muslim public intellectual, religious-liberties attorney, and activist, provides a unique perspective on the complex political and social factors contributing to the Muslim-Christian divide. Unlike other analysts, Uddin asks what underlying drivers cause otherwise good people to do—or believe—bad things? Why do people who value faith support of measures that limit others, especially of Muslims’, religious freedom and other rights?’ Uddin humanizes a contentious relationship by fully embracing both sides as individuals driven by very human fears and anxieties. Many conservative Christians fear that the Left is dismantling traditional “Christian America” to replace it with an Islamized America, a conspiratorial theory that has given rise to an “evangelical persecution complex,” a politicized vulnerability. Uddin reveals that Islamophobia and other aspects of the conservative Christian movement are interconnected. Where does hate come from and how can it be conquered? Only by addressing the underlying factors of this politics of vulnerability can we begin to heal the divide. Trade Review“While evangelical Christians and Muslims differ as to the content of our faith convictions, there is agreement on the ethics our convictions inspire. By striving to heal the divide as Asma Uddin ably articulates, we can make strides as divergent faith communities toward unity of purpose in service for a thriving humanity.” -- Daniel Harrell, PhD, Editor in Chief * Christianity Today *"American Christians, in their own struggle to protect religious freedoms in America, have labelled American Muslims as enemies when they could be strong allies. If their rights aren’t protected, the rights of Christians will ultimately be threatened as well. With remarkable scholarship and insight, Asma Uddin makes a strong case for why Christians and Muslims should work together to protect the crucial freedoms that both faiths cherish.” -- Richard Stearns, President Emeritus of World Vision US, Author of The Hole in Our Gospel"The threat to religious liberty is real, and sometimes believers are their own worst enemies. Here’s a book that should open up some serious conversations about the current crisis that casts a dark shadow over faith communities in the land of the free, a land conceived in religious liberty." -- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf * "The Most Influential Islamic Scholar in the West" (New Yorker) *"A concise, challenging clarion call for Religious Freedom. Uddin’s book is filled with extensive research, humanized and complimented by life stories from a wide-array of Americans. A powerful book for our current moment.” -- Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church“An exemplar of charitable civic engagement. Without oversimplification or caricature, Uddin dives headfirst into the complex world of Muslim-Christian relations. With clear and accessible prose, her nuanced analysis both explains and models how Muslims and conservative Christians can find common ground across their differences.” -- John Inazu, Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, author of Liberty's Refuge and Confident Pluralism"Asma Uddin confronts the limitations that triabilism and ideological divdes impose on religious freedom discourse in America. She calls on people of all faith—and no faith at all—to remember religious liberty as a human right and not a political tool. She describes a vision for the future of this discussion as one where American's don't water down their beliefs to engage in vigorous debate, but come together in the fullness of those beliefs to discover their American identity." -- Montserrat Alvarado, Executive Director, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty"In The Politics of Vulnerability, Ms. Uddin dares engage a conversation many wish to avoid – the realization that the US is a post-Christian nation with fear of vulnerability driving our actions, attitudes, and politics. How did we get here? And how do we move forward? Through compelling narrative, theory, and research, Ms. Uddin provides a framework for Religious Freedom; a framework that asks us to consider how Christians and Muslims can move from vulnerability to religious freedom together." -- Revered Dr. Colleen Derr, President, Wesley Seminary"In this wonderfully insighful book Asma Uddin presents a compelling and refreshing Muslim perspective on religious freedom and pluralism. Her willingness to share her sense of vulnerability in addressing these issues as a person of faith is a gift to all of us. As a conservative Christian, I not only learned much from this book—I was also deeply moved by it." -- Richard Mouw, President Emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary"A potent challenge to prevailing thoughts on politics and culture, with the goal of bringing Muslims and Christians closer." * Kirkus *"From a sociological perspective, Uddin’s analysis is spot-on." * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisAlthough the 500th anniversary celebration of the Reformation of 1517 is over, ministry in the church continues. In having looked to the past, we now focus on the present to see how the church can move forward with this strong historical base. Particularly, how do the solas of the Reformation apply as we look at Scripture and work within the church to nurture the laity in their practice of faith?This was the discussion at a recent conference, Reformation Celebration, at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. This book (written and edited by Gordon-Conwell professors) is the result of that conference, with multidiscipline essays ranging from Luther on Scripture, grace, and Christ to the implication today of the Christology of Athanasius and Calvin. Some of the important questions addressedhistorically, theologically, and sociologicallyinclude: What does sola scriptura (scripture alone) have to say about spiritual formation?<

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Book SynopsisIn his epistle to the Philippians, Paul addresses internal struggles and external pressures that the church faced. In the letter he presents the sacrificial life of Christ as the ultimate example, "the ethical foundation for all of life," and then calls believers to imitate Christ in their own lives.In this volume, Mark J. Keown scrupulously examines Philippians with a clear eye on the original text and a fine-tuned ear to first-century culture while also interacting with the full history of scholarship on Philippians. Keown also carefully considers the letter's theological and devotional importance for present-day believers. The result is the most comprehensive commentary on Philippians yet published.

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Book SynopsisRomans is Paul's most thorough presentation of the good news he preached. Writing to a church he had not yet met, Paul lets them know that both Jews and Gentiles need to be rescued from death, and the crucified and risen Jesus is the Savior they need. In Romans Verse by Verse, Grant R. Osborne shows readers what Romans meant to its original audience and what it means today. Throughout, he keeps scholarly discussions in the background so he can shine a light on the text itself in a way that non-scholars can understand.The Osborne New Testament Commentary Series is a set of commentaries on every New Testament book for people who are looking for a straightforward explanation of the text. In them, today's readers gain fuller access to the riches of each book from a master teacher who loves God's Word.

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